Traffic signal



H. L. BUSH TRAFFIC SIGNAL Aug. 16, 1960 3 SheetsSheet 2 Filed May 12, 1958 IINVENTOR. /7aro2d L. Bus/ A TTORNEV H. L. BUSH TRAFFIC SIGNAL Aug. 16, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 12, 1958 w hi5 INVENTOR.

fi m 0M L. 9 5/7 BY v A TTORNEJ.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed May 12, 1958, Ser. No. 734,765 Claims. (Cl. 340'8'4) This invention has as an object and relates to traflic signal housings containing a signal'for use to control the flow of highway traflic. 7

Due to constant use, weather, etc.,{ thetrafiic signal housings oftentimes have to be relarnped or repaired in order to keep them in anoperatingcondition. Consequently, it is desirable to construct the horisingand reflector units of simple, compact yet durable and reliable construction so as to facilitate inspection, maintenance, and repair. 4 I

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simple, compact, inexpensive, yet' highly durable and reliable traflic signal housing and reflector unit'for use in the housing.

More specifically, it is an object of this inventiorito provide a reflector unit for a traflic signal housing which is particularly economical to manufacture, simple and eflicient in use, yet a reflector that may be conveniently removed from the traflic signal housing in order to relamp or repair the unit. l

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings- Figure l is a cross section of a side elevation of the traflic signal housing and reflector unit.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the traffic signal housing with the door shown swung to an open position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view, shown partly broken away and partly in section, of a modification.

The traflic signal unit is made up of a box-like housing having a rear wall 10, top wall 11, bottom wall 12 and side walls 13 and 14. Side wall 13 is formed with a pair of binge eyes 16 in which the hinge pins 17 of the door 18 are mounted. The door :18 thus covers the open front of the housing.

The door 18 is formed with an aperture 20 and an annular flange 21 surrounds the aperture 20. A lens 25 is positioned in the door opening and has its periphery encircled by a gasket 26 of yieldable material. The gasket 26 engages the marginal surface about the opening 20 on the inner side of the door, the gasket being fixed to the door by a plurality of clips 28 detachably secured to bosses 29, as by screws 30. The gasket 26 is formed with an inwardly extending annular portion 31 for engagement by the radial brim of the reflector. A hood 32 is mounted upon the flange 21. The door 18 is formed at its free edge with a bifurcated boss 33 to receive a fastening bolt 34 carried by the complimental side 14 of the signal casing and which serves to fix the door in closed relation to the housing.

The side wall 13 of the housing is formed with a pair of inwardly extending ribs 40 which are apertured in order to receive a pair of pins 41 and 42 which are driven through the top wall 11 and bottom wall 12 of the housing and into the ribs 40. i

The pins 41, 42, serve as aligned pivots for the' rnounting of a one-piece reflector 45. The reflector 45 at its open end is formed with a radially extending flange 46 which is formed at the sides of the reflector with elongated portions 47, 48, extending tangential to the reflector and parallel to the side walls 13, 14, of the housing. The ends of the portion 47 are bent over to form ears 49 apertured to receive the inner ends of the pins 41, 42, see Figure 2. The lower ear 49 of the reflector is positioned upon the lower boss or rib 40 which forms a stop to limit downward movement of the reflector. The upper ear 49 is spaced downwardly on the pin 41 from the upper rib 40. A compression spring 50 isv interposed between the upper ear and the rib.

With this arrangement, when the door 18 is opened the reflector assembly is movable about the pivot pins 41, 42, outwardly of the casing to permit replacement of the socket 51, which is mounted in a rearwardly extending flange portion 52 of the reflector, the, flange portion 52. being contracted about the socket by a clamp 53 actuated by a screw 54. Also, when the reflector is swung outwardly of the casing, the socket leads 55, 56, for supplying power to the lamp 57, can be conveniently connected to the terminal block 58 secured to the rear wall 10 of the housing. The flange portion 48 of the reflector has its ends bent rearwardly, as at 60, see Figure 4, forming spring clips to engage ribs 61 extending. inwardly from the wall 14, these clips serving to maintain the reflector in closed operative position. I

The reflector is conveniently removed from the housing when swung to outward position by moving the reflector upwardly against the spring 50 to eflect disengagement from the pin 42 and then downwardly to effect disengagernent from the pin 41.

The upper Wall 11 of the housing unit is formed with an apertured hub 65 encircled by a plurality of ribs 66. The bottom wall 12 of the housing is apertured' and formed with a circular flange 67, the lower edge of which is formed with circumferentially spaced apart ribs 68. The arrangement is such that the upper hub 65 of one casing is positioned within the flange 67 of an upper casing, and the ribs 68 interlock with the ribs 66 to prevent relative rotation of the signal casings. The casings are secured together by substantial means, not shown, such as tie bolts. This arrangement permits a plurality of the housings to be assembled in vertical stack relation so as to provide for the normal red, yellow and green, signals.

As will be further seen from Figure 1, the door 18 is formed around its perimeter with a channel in which a gasket 96 is positioned to cooperate with the housing to effect a seal between the door frame and the housing. The annular portion 31 of the gasket 26 engages the flange 46 of the reflector in order to maintain a moisture and dust tight joint between the reflector and lens 25.

The reflector 45 is shown in Figure 4 in a modified form. In this form, the glass reflector 100 is mounted in the reflector 45 in spaced position to the concave surface 72 by means of a plurality of circumferentially spaced pads or washers 101 and clips 102. The clips 102 are mounted in the cylindrical portion 71 of the reflector 45 and comprise a straight portion 103 which is affixed to the cylindrical portion 71 by means of fasteners 104. The clips 102 have an angularly disposed arm 105 which impinges upon the peripheral edge of the glass reflector 100 in order to resiliently maintain the reflector against the spaced washers 101. The glass reflector 100 therefore, may be conveniently mounted in the reflector 45 at a. a 3 i the factory by the clips 102, should it benecessary'or desirable to use a glass reflecting surface rather than the reflecting surface 72 of the reflector 45.

What I claim is:

v 1. A traffic signal comprising a boxlike housing having an open front, a doorhinged to the housing to closesaid opening, a lens carried by the door, a pairv of hinge pins mounted in the housing in spaced apart axial alignment in proximity to one side of said open front of the housing, a reflector formed with a radial flange at its open end, said flange being provided with a pair of apertured ears to receive said pins, said ears being'spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing between the confronting ends of said hinge pins, said pins having fixed abutments 1 spaced apart a greater distance than the spacing bet-ween said reflector cars, a spring interposed between one of the said abutments and one of said ears, whereby said reflector may be moved axially of said pins to efiect disengagement of the other reflector ear from its associated pin to effect removal of the reflector from said pins.

2. A traflic signal comprising a boxlike housing having an open front, a door hinged to the housing, a lens carried by thedoor, a one-piece reflector assembly mounted inthe housing, hinge pins for pivotally supporting said reflector in the housing for swinging movement through the open front thereof, said reflector assembly being mounted for removal from said housing upon relative axial movement between said pins and said reflector assembly, spring means associated with one of said pins to yieldingly restrain such relative axial movement between the pins and reflector assembly. I 3. A traific signal unit comprising a boxlike housing having an open front, a door hingedly mounted on said housing to' close said open front, an aperturein said I door, a lens mounted in said aperture, a pair of hinge pins adjacent the side wall of said housing to which said door is hinged, said pins extending into said housing in spaced apart axial alignment, means for mounting a spring "on oiie of said pinsintermediate the ends of said pin,

means for providing the other of said pins with a stop intermediate its ends, a one-piece reflector formed with a pair of ears, said ears being positioned in axial alignment and spaced apart a distance greater than the space between the confronting ends of said pins, each of said ears being formed with an aperture, said reflector being hingedly mounted on s'aidpins' by said apertured ears, said reflector being removably ,mounted on said pins between said stop and said spring, said reflector being further providedwith means for releasably latching said reflector in said housing. 'J

4. A traflic signal as in claim 2 wherein said reflector has a concave reflecting surface andis provided with an apertured center having an axially extending flange about said aperture on the convex surface of said reflector, and a lamp receptable mounted in said aperture by means of a clamp ring surrounding said flange.

.5. A traflic signal unit as in claim 3, wherein said means for releasably latching said reflector in said housing comprises a pair of ribs formed integrally with the sidewall of said housing opposite the wall to which said 'door'is hinged,a second pair of cars formed integrally with saidone-"piece reflector, one of said ears being formed with av serrated under surface whereby, when said ear contacts said rib, said reflector is releasably latched in said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent I :UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,71 1,479

I Halvorson Apr. 30, 1929 1,836,845 Halvorson Dec. 15, 1931 2,146,391 Anderson Feb. 7, 1939 2,190,526 Wells Feb. 13, 1940 2,294,883 Anderson Sept. 8, 1942 2,417,443 Paul Mar. 18, 1947 2,534,992 Reid Dec. 19, 1950 Beabien et a1. Sept. 16, 1958 

